Safeguarding Against Data Breaches Using PAM Solutions

Data breaches have unfortunately become a regular occurrence. High-profile instances of data theft involving companies like T-Mobile, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Twitter, and others have been recently documented.

Often, breached companies are hesitant to disclose the specifics of such events, commonly attributing them to hacker attacks. However, evidence suggests that a significant number of these data breaches actually stem from privileged accounts within the victimized enterprises' information systems. These accounts are highly sought after by cybercriminals.

Accounts with extensive system rights can access thousands of users' confidential data, business information, and IT system configurations. Once criminals breach the security perimeter, they can remain undetected for months, waiting for the best moment to execute their attack.

The Security Risks Associated with Privileged Users

Privileged users exist in any corporate infrastructure. This group includes system and network administrators, database administrators, external developers (if they are involved in system development and support), and even contractors who have been granted advanced rights to manage applications or databases. Such account holders possess near-unlimited capabilities, with access to both data and system settings. Without dedicated controls, privileged users can act out of control.

While the presence of privileged users in infrastructure brings numerous risks, two main scenarios often form the backdrop for adverse events.

In the first scenario, cyber attackers manage to gain access to a privileged accounts. Essentially, this grants them a "master key" to the organization, making a targeted attack a matter of when not if. Whether used directly by hackers or sold on the dark web, the "username-password" pair becomes a serious corporate security breach once compromised. The only hope for preventing an attack is detecting the data leak early.

In the second scenario, the privileged users themselves – intentionally or unwittingly – become the perpetrator. There are many well-documented instances of this. The results of an everyday employee morphing into a cybercriminal can range from deliberate disruption of corporate systems to outright data theft. This is reminiscent of the numerous data leaks various services have experienced in the past.

Privilege Access Management Systems

To overcome the problems of controlling privileged accounts, there are specialized tools called PAM systems (Privilege Access Management). They allow you to prevent massive leaks of data, as well as control the use of passwords in an organization, allowing you to save on reputational costs. PAM systems solve four important tasks:

1. User privilege management. Extended rights are granted only to those users who have good reasons for this. In addition, access is not given to all resources but only to those that users really need to fulfill their work duties, and the validity period of privileges is strictly limited in time.

2. Monitoring the actions of privileged users. The system records user sessions and stores the data for further review. Advanced PAM solutions keep a log of work sessions and can recognize text (OCR function).

3. Password management. The system stores passwords in encrypted form, updates them, and does not give users access to secret information. Sometimes third-party password management solutions are used for this.

4. Support for pass-through authentication. It allows users not to enter a password to access each corporate service but "log in" only once with the help of Single Sign-On (SSO).

Who Needs RAM Systems?

PAM systems are applicable to organizations of all types, as every organization has privileged users. Not only individual users hold accounts with special rights, but also entities like business partners, contractors, companies that manage information systems, and third-party systems that interact with corporate systems without human intervention. Nearly every business stores data needing special protection, such as employees' personal data and customers' personal records. The applicability of PAM systems is virtually unlimited, regardless of the company's size.

Implementing a PAM system

Installation and configuration of PAM systems are generally straightforward. They do not require intricate integrations and ensure compatibility with various systems. Typically, PAM is installed "over" other enterprise information systems and becomes a sort of "gateway" for all user access.

The implementation method varies depending on an organization's competencies and its approach to IT infrastructure development. Some organizations utilize contractors' services, maintaining an in-house team of administrators to oversee system operations. In contrast, others possess sufficient competence to implement a PAM system independently. This typically includes deploying server components, organizing log and data storage, and installing agents on protected infrastructure nodes.

These tasks are achievable for many organizations and do not require a significant amount of time, with installation often completed in just a few clicks. System administrators responsible for the organization's domain can handle this task quite competently. The system setup, which involves auditing user accounts, analyzing their roles, and distributing access rights, is a more time-consuming process.

If a company lacks the necessary competencies, it can always engage a managed security service provider (MSSP), who can offer technical consultations, demos, pilot projects, cost minimization strategies, and impartial analysis for individual problems.